hippiewikiaorg-20200214-history
Burning Man
A snapshot of an earlier version of the article before it was set upon by straights (ie squares). There is a lot more deleted material to be found in the edit history. Burning Man (WP) is a week-long festival (WP) with international draw, held annually on the week prior to and including Labor Day (WP) weekend. Its current location is on the playa (WP) of the Black Rock Desert (WP) in Nevada (WP), 120 miles north of Reno (WP). The temporary city (housing 35,000 residents in 2004 (WP)) is marketed as an experiment in community (WP), radical (WP) self-expression (WP), and radical self-reliance (WP). The culmination of the event is the burning of a large wooden sculpture of a man on Saturday night, the sixth night of the event. Primary foci of the festival (WP) Participation. In its marketing materials, Burning Man is positioned as a "spectator-free" zone -- i.e., only participants are allowed. As such, all attendees are ostensibly expected to contribute to the community, but the nature of this participation is left up to each individual, and in reality a large number of spectators are present with cameras in hand. The concept of radical inclusion ("include yourself, include others") is the consensus-reality unwritten law that purportedly governs this Burning Man social principle. Leave No Trace (WP), an ecological concept. Burning Man takes place in the middle of a normally uninhabited desert environment known as a playa (WP), which is deep in the middle of a large, prehistoric dry lake (WP) bed. Participants are told to be very careful not to contaminate the playa with litter (commonly known as MOOP, or "matter out of place"). In addition, while fire is a primary component of many art exhibits and events, materials must be burned on burn platforms (WP). At one time, burning was allowed to take place directly on the ground of the playa, but the formation of burn scar (WP)s was observed. The Bureau of Land Management (WP), which maintains the desert, has very strict requirements for the festival. Weeks after the festival has ended, a team of volunteers remain in the desert, cleaning up after the temporary city and attempting to make sure that no evidence of the festival remains--of course, whether these volunteers are able to repair the ecological damage that the event inevitably causes is in dispute. A similar mantra heard at Burning Man is, "Don't Let It Hit The Ground." Commerce-free event. No cash transactions are allowed at Burning Man--except at the central cafe, which is owned and operated by the Burning Man organizers. The participants instead rely on a gift economy (WP). Since the earliest days of the event, an underground barter (WP) economy has also existed, in which Burners exchange material goods and/or favors with each other; however, this is largely discouraged by the event organizers. The only commerce that has been allowed are sales of coffee (WP) and ice (WP) at Center Camp, which benefit Burning Man's organizers and, to a lesser extent, the local Gerlach-Empire (WP) school system. Additionally, the powers that be at Burning Man contract with Green Tortoise (WP) to provide a fee-based shuttle service that provides round trip bus rides into the nearby town of Gerlach, Nevada (WP). Arts and crafts (WP) are featured, particularly outsider art (WP) and visionary art (WP). Creative expression through the arts is encouraged at Burning Man, though all art must currently conform with event-wide themes imposed by the organizers. Large-scale art installations, theme camps, music, performance, and guerilla street theatre are amongst the most common art forms shared at Burning Man. Sculptures and interactive installations are generally placed on the playa, in the open space surrounding the Man. Many are along specific art-walk pathways that lead to and from the central Burning Man complex, while others are scattered throughout the open playa. The largest and most active public theme camps are generally clustered on the Esplanade, Black Rock City's inner circle "main street." The Burning Man Opera was a significant interactive community performance that ran for over four consecutive years. Most recently, the ritual burning of David Best's temple projects have rivalled the burning of the central Burning Man complex in community significance and popularity. The ornately designed, three story high temple buildings borrow from Southeast Asian and Balinese architecture (WP), and are used as repositories for the memories of deceased loved ones. One thing to be aware of, however, is that gay-themed art is not necessarily welcome at Burning Man. A few years ago, when local law enforcement objected to a gay-themed art installation called "Jiffy Lube," Burning Man's organizers pressured the artists to "voluntarily" remove it, giving rise to charges of censorship and homophobia from a number of quarters. Black Rock City Black Rock City, often abbreviated to BRC, is the name of the temporary urban phenomenon created by Burning Man. The city is arranged in a large semicircle (resembling the layout of Poverty Point (WP)) with the Burning Man complex at the very center. Avenues extend radially from the Man to the outermost circle. In most years, these avenues are given a clock name (e.g., "3:00"), presenting the city as a clock in which the Man is the center of the clock. Occasionally, the avenues have been identified as the degrees of a circle (e.g., "300 degrees"); however, this has proven unpopular with Burners. Surrounding the central complex and extending out toward the back of the playa is an area of empty space reserved for art installations. Within the semicircle of the city, arranged in concentric arcs around the Man, are the streets and villages where the participants camp out. The names of the streets change each year to coincide with the overall theme of the burn. For example, the theme for 2004 was "The Vault of Heaven," and the streets were named after the planets of the solar system. The innermost circles tend to be the busiest and are usually reserved for theme camps or large villages. Theme camps--a concept that was introduced at the event by San Francisco artist, Peter Doty (who, unfortunately, like many others who have made major contributions to the event over the years, is not credited in the "official" Burning Man history)--are designed with a specific theme in mind. Some well-known camps that have been at Burning Man for quite some time include Thunderdome, where constestants battle in a large geodesic dome inspired by the Mad Max (WP) film Beyond Thunderdome (WP); Eggchair, a camp with a stereo-equipped Eggchair for passers by to sit in and watch the world go by; and IHOP, the Intergalactic House of Pancakes, which serves pancakes to all comers. BRC also is host to a growing number of Burners who experiment and innovate with the use of Alternative Energy (WP). Both within and without of the official theme village, the Alternative Energy Zone, there are burners who still play hard and have the luxuries of home such as amplified music, lights and vehicles, but use no petroleum while in Black Rock City to enjoy these ammenities. However, use of petroleum-powered generators is very widespread at Burning Man, and on still days can significantly impact air quality at the event. Villages such as Shangri La Village (WP), Gigsville, and Hushville are perennial staples of BRC. Center Camp is located along the midline of BRC, facing the Man (i.e., at the intersection of the Esplanade and 6:00), and serves as a central meeting place for the entire city. Various services, such as first aid and Playa Info, are found at Center Camp. Similar services can be found at the intersections of the Esplanade located at 3:00 and 9:00. Center Camp also contains art installations, a large comfortable seating area, and performance spaces available to Burners. BRC is patrolled by various local and state law enforcement (WP) agencies as well as the Bureau of Land Management (WP) Rangers (WP). Burners refer to these people collectively as LEOs (Law Enforcement Officers). Burning Man also has its own in-house group of volunteers, the Black Rock Ranger (WP)s, who act as informal mediators when disputes arise between Burners. When the occasional eviction of a Burner from BRC becomes necessary, volunteer rangers typically enlist the assistance of LEOs. Following a series of accidents that resulted in life-altering injuries and a fatality, BRC has, in recent years, been designated a motor vehicle free zone, with the exception of extensively decorated art car (WP)s that have been licensed by BRC's "Department of Mutant Vehicles." The Temple The burning of a temple, as well as the Man, has become a traditional activity at the event. It takes place the evening after the burning of the Man. Sculptor David Best's temple projects were ritually burned from 2000 to 2004. The tradition of participants inscribing the surfaces of the piece with personal messages has continued through all of the iterations of the temple. Temple name had no prepositional phrase in 2016 and 2017. Burners Burning Man participants often call themselves "Burners." Although this usage may vary with region, a "Burner" is an annual denizen of Black Rock City, and anyone who embraces Burning Man as an expression in synch with their own identity is a Burner. In general, the term's use is only practical in contexts outside of the event itself. A Burner is usually someone who has been to the event and aspires to return, even if only in spirit. The concept also implies the sentiments and values inspired by the event itself, including a high regard for creativity, especially radical self-expression, and willingness to participate in a gift-based economy. Some Burners adopt (or are given) a playa name, a personal nickname a Burner may use while socializing with other Burners. A Burning Man "virgin" is someone who is attending Burning Man for the first time or is planning to attend Burning Man in the future. "Yahoo" or "tourist" are pejorative terms used to refer to people who come to Burning Man to spectate rather then participate in the event, often arriving not long before the Burning Man ritual. As the stated purpose of Burning Man is to form community and to promote radical self-expression, non-participants are strongly frowned upon by many participants. This does not prevent spectators from attending the event, however; and in recent years, as attendance has swelled with growing awareness of Burning Man among the general public, friction between participants and spectators has been on the rise. Public nudity is common at BRC, giving rise to a deserved reputation of rampant hedonism, including casual and public sex acts and recreational drug use throughout BRC. However, LEOs who are present at the event are ready, willing, and able to cite and/or arrest Burners who flout laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs. Nevertheless, use of marijuana, LSD, magic mushrooms, ecstasy, as well as cocaine, speed and even heroin, is common at the event. Perhaps as a result of the event's reputation as a haven for casual sex and drug use, there have been a number of rapes and sexual assaults there over the past few years--which, in turn, has led to calls for the event's organizers to begin addressing the problem. Those outside this culture who act without politeness to and think without acceptance of its precepts will see Burners possessed of a cult-like loyalty to Burning Man and its organizers. To the Burners, they are being rude, and the response will be seen as a "knee-jerk intolerance of even the mildest criticism of the event".Deleted Wikipedia text Understanding and wisdom always pays dividends, but politeness is a shortcut to wisdom; it achieves a similar end. Health and safety The desert environment the event takes place in requires special attention to personal health; accordingly, here are a few health and safety tips for those considering going. First and most important, you must bring, and drink, a large amount of water to avoid dehydration, heatstroke, and other problems. The standard rule for Burning Man is 1 to 2 gallons, per person, per day. You should always have a water bottle with you and be drinking from it; the negative effects of dehydration begin well before you start feeling thirsty. Pay attention to your urine; if it's anything other than clear and abundant, you're not drinking enough. Do not substitute beer or any other alcoholic beverage for water. This goes double for soft drinks (WP) and other sweetened drinks; the water necessary to digest the sweeteners more than offsets that provided by the drink, and you end up even more dehydrated. On the other hand, drinking too much water can also be dangerous if you're not replacing the electrolytes and carbohydrates that come out in your urine. You should expect alcohol and other substances, including prescribed medications, to have a potentially stronger effect in this environment, largely due to dehydration. The general rule is that if you need to drink water for something to be safe normally, you need to drink more for it to be safe in the desert. Bring at least a modest First-Aid kit, sunblock, and burn ointment. It is highly recommended that sunblock be worn at all times (this has even led to a social bonding ritual with people putting sunblock on each other every morning). Some suggest putting it on at night, too, in case of night journeys that lead to awakening without it. There are also First Aid stations around; learn where these are (usually at Center Camp and in the plazas 90 degrees on either side). Black Rock City has no indoor plumbing; a small number of portable toilets are made available throughout the city; however, as facilities are limited, the large numbers of attendees who defecate on the playa has caused some problems in recent years. You will want to become intimately familiar with the schedule by which the toilets nearest you are cleaned, and you will not want to camp downwind of one. Alternatives include personal silica gel (WP) waste pouches, which can render urine into solid form. These are used by spelunkers (WP) and available commercially, but can be homemade using silica gel cat litter, a large container, and a stir stick. Note that they can get quite heavy over use. At a minimum, bring several rolls of toilet paper in case the portables are out of it. Women have found it useful to bring large funnels so that they can effectively leverage the "urinal" ports in the portable toilets (to avoid contact with the toilet seats); these are invariably referred to as pee funnel (WP)s, and there is a Pee Funnel Camp where women can make one of their own. It is EXTREMELY important that nothing be disposed of in the portapotties other than human waste and single-ply toilet paper! Anything else clogs the pumps that are used to empty them. This has been a serious problem in the past, and the company that operates the portapotties has threatened to cancel their contract with Burning Man if the problems continue. Without the portapotties, the organizers will be in violation of their permit from the Bureau of Land Management (WP) and will have no choice but to shut down Burning Man permanently. So remember: if it didn't come out of your body, don't put it in the potty! Next, navigation. Lights are never good navigation points, and in the desert they become horrible navigation points. Learn the layout of the camps, and learn the locations of large installations by day so that you can find your way back with them at night. Don't go beyond the perimeter fence; not only can you easily get lost, but you can get run over by patrol trucks (not that this is likely). Do not run near tents that are not yours! Tents have guy lines to hold them under tension so they can keep their shape; these are supposed to be tagged with tape, but may not be. Worse, the use of rebar (WP) tent stakes has continued (though improved); these are supposed to be bent into loops, or covered with tennis balls or plastic one-liter soft drink (WP) bottles, but if you run onto one that isn't you can get a nasty cut. Foot injuries make up a significant number of casualties every year. Likewise, try to make your own camp safe for pedestrians. Be aware that the event has had fatalities and serious injuries. While some of these could have been prevented with the application of common sense, the thing to realize is that most of them were people who normally had common sense, but were either impaired by alcohol or drugs, or very confused by their environment. Do not operate a powered vehicle at more than five miles per hour. Do not operate a vehicle, powered or otherwise, when intoxicated. Do not operate a vehicle, powered or otherwise, at night without lights on it; nor should you go anywhere on foot at night without some kind of light on you. (Glowsticks abound at Burning Man; find some and slap 'em on.) Never get off an art car (WP) by any other way than the way you got on; in 2003 a participant was killed by trying to step off the back of a moving art car, falling, and then being run over by the generator cart it was towing. Rapes and sexual assaults have occurred. All the usual risks, such as following people you do not trust to a secluded place, and attendant precautions, apply. If you get confused, disoriented, or panicked, keep asking for help until someone gets you to a part of the environment you're able to get your bearings in--and don't feel bad, this happens to a lot of people and doesn't generally last long. Many people take a day or so to adjust and then love it. Golden rule: many more things than you have ever thought of may be a good idea, but not everything actually is a good idea. History The annual event now known as Burning Man began on the summer solstice (WP) in 1986 (WP) when Larry Harvey (WP), Jerry James (WP), and a few friends met on Baker Beach (WP) in San Francisco (WP) and burned an eight foot tall wooden man as well as a smaller wooden dog. The inspiration for burning these effigy figures has been shrouded in mystery by Harvey, who described it as "a spontaneous act of radical self-expression." However, sculptor Mary Grauberger (WP), a friend of Harvey's girlfriend Janet Lohr (WP), had held spontaneous art-party gatherings on Baker Beach on or about the summer solstice for several years prior to 1986, and the burning of sculpture was a central theme. In addition to the burning of sculpture, a key ingredient to the pre-Burning Man gatherings was the fact that Baker Beach is a cove area frequented by nudists. Harvey attended some of the pre-Burning Man gatherings on Baker Beach, and when Grauberger stopped holding her parties, Harvey picked up the torch and ran with it, so to speak. Harvey asked Jerry James to build the first eight foot wooden effigy, which was much smaller and less artsy than the neon figure featured in the current ritual. In 1987, the effigy had grown to almost fifteen feet tall, and in 1988 it grew to around forty feet. The name Burning Man came to Harvey when he was watching a video of the 1986 ritual. A member of the crowd watching the event shouted out "Wicker Man!", suggesting that the burning of the wooden effigy was somehow related to The Wicker Man, a movie that was released in 1973. Harvey was the son of a Freemason (WP), and (for Harvey) the use of wood in building the man had symbolic significance and was a critical part of the ritual; also, according to him, he did not see the movie until many years later and so it played no part in his inspiration. Accordingly, rather than allow the name Wicker Man to become the name of the ritual, he started using the name Burning Man. John Law (WP), as well as other members of the Cacophony Society (WP), have been heavily involved in Burning Man since 1989. The event grew quickly, moving from Baker Beach in San Francisco to the Black Rock Desert (WP) of Nevada in 1990 after the burn scheduled for the summer solstice was shut down by police. After striking a deal to raise the Man but not to burn it on the beach, event organizers disassembled the effigy and returned it to a vacant lot where it had been stored. Shortly thereafter, the Man disappeared when the lot was unexpectedly paved over and converted into a parking lot. The effigy was then reconstructed by John Law, a member of the Cacophony Society who spearheaded the effort to move Burning Man to the Black Rock Desert. As the event has grown, one of the challenges faced by the organizers has been balancing the freedom of participants with the requirements of various land management and law enforcement groups. Over the years, numerous restrictions have been put in place, such as bans on fireworks (WP), firearms (WP), dogs, and driving non-art cars. A notable restriction to attendees is the trash fence that bounds the pentagon of land used by the event on the southern edge of the Black Rock playa. Land beyond this fence is not available to burners. Some artists and early attendees believe the underlying freedoms and concepts of the Burning Man event have been reduced or eliminated by these restrictions, leading to criticism of the current event as being too structured and controlled. Additionally, some believe the event's rapid growth and arid location (where the natural healing effect of the winter rains is not as effective) has caused environmental degradation of the Black Rock Desert. The event has changed considerably as it grew from a small handful of people on a beach in San Francisco to over 30,000 people attending the festival last year. The scale of the event has increased enormously, and the Black Rock City LLC has in turn become more structured. In 1997 (WP) a group of people began a much smaller festival both as an alternative to and as a parody of Burning Man. The so-called Burning Shithead Festival (WP) takes place in Joshua Tree National Park (WP) every year at the same time as Burning Man. An Anti-BurningMan also formed with an emphasis on fewer restrictions, occurring just before Burning Man such that the less-ironic could still attend both. It is unclear what has become of it. Regional Events The popularity of Burning Man has encouraged other groups and organizations to hold festivals similar to Burning Man, such as Fuego de los Muertos (WP) in San Diego (WP), X-Day (WP) in New York (WP), or the July long-weekend Phoenix Festival (WP) in Washington State. And In recent years, burners wishing to experience Burning Man more frequently than once per year have banded together to create local regional events. These events are typically much smaller than Burning Man itself, often consisting of no more than a few hundred participants. Some of the events are officially affiliated with the Burning Man organization via the Burning Man Regional Network (WP), while others are organized and created by burners independent of the LLC. One type of event is popular with those that find returning to the "default world" to be a little jarring after having enjoyed the experiences of the burn. To relieve this culture shock (WP), burners may participate in decompression parties (WP). These events seek to recapture the spirit of the main event. Other regional events have been established that connect and grow localized communities of burners. These events build upon the cultural bond of Burning Man, yet add a particular unique flavor of their own. Most regional events last a few days, occur annually, and are much less formal than Burning Man itself. This list (WP) notes many of the regional events. New events are being established continually. Principles :Section from the current article: Because of the variety of goals fostered by participatory attendees, known as "Burners", Burning Man does not have a single focus. Features of the event are subject to the participants and include community, artwork, absurdity, decommodification and revelry. Participation is encouraged.What is Burning Man? "There are no rules about how one must behave or express oneself at this event (save the rules that serve to protect the health, safety, and experience of the community at large); rather, it is up to each participant to decide how they will contribute and what they will give to this community. ... Participants are encouraged to find a way to help make the theme come alive ..." The Burning Man event and its affiliated communities are guided by 10 principles that are meant to evoke the cultural ethos that has emerged from the event. They were originally written by Larry Harvey in 2004 as guidelines for regional organizing, then later became a universal criterion of the general culture of the multifaceted movement. They are: * radical inclusion (WP) * gifting * decommodification (WP) * radical self-reliance (WP) * radical self-expression (WP) * communal (WP) effort * civic responsibility (WP) * leaving no trace (WP) * participation * immediacy The descriptions in quotes are the actual text: Radical Inclusion "Anyone may be a part of Burning Man. We welcome and respect the stranger. No prerequisites exist for participation in our community." This was written with a broad stroke for general organizing, meaning anyone is welcome to the Burning Man culture. Prerequisites for the Burning Man event are; participants are expected to provide for their own basic needs, follow the guidelines stated in the annually updated event "survival guide", and purchase a ticket to get in. Gifting "Burning Man is devoted to acts of gift giving. The value of a gift is unconditional. Gifting does not contemplate a return or an exchange for something of equal value." Instead of cash, participants at the Burning Man event in the Black Rock Desert are encouraged to rely on a gift economy (WP), a sort of potlatch (WP). In the earliest days of the event, an underground barter (WP) economy also existed, in which burners exchanged "favors" with each other. While this was originally supported by the Burning Man organization, this is now largely discouraged. Instead, burners are encouraged to give gifts to one another unconditionally. Decommodification "In order to preserve the spirit of gifting, our community seeks to create social environments that are unmediated by commercial sponsorships, transactions, or advertising. We stand ready to protect our culture from such exploitation. We resist the substitution of consumption for participatory experience." No cash transactions are permitted between attendees of the Burning Man event in the Black Rock Desert. Cash can be used for a select few charity, fuel, and sanitation vendors as follows: * Café beverages such as coffee, chai (WP), lemonade (WP), etc., which are sold at Center Camp Café, operated by the organizers of the event. * Ice (WP) sales benefit the local Gerlach (WP)-Empire (WP) school system. * Tickets for the shuttle bus to the nearest Nevada communities of Gerlach and Empire which is operated by a contractor not participating in the event: Green Tortoise (WP). * A re-entry wristband, which allows a person to leave and re-enter the event and may be purchased at the gate upon exit. * An airport use fee, payable at the airport upon first entry. * Diesel and biodiesel sold by third-party contractors. * RV dump service and camp graywater (WP) disposal service. * Private portable toilets and servicing, which can be arranged with the official contractor. Radical Self-Reliance "Burning Man encourages the individual to discover, exercise and rely on his or her inner resources." The event's harsh environment and remote location requires participants to be responsible for their own subsistence. Since the LLC forbids most commerce, participants must be prepared and bring all their own supplies with the exception of the items stated in Decommodification. Radical Self-Expression (WP) "Radical self-expression arises from the unique gifts of the individual. No one other than the individual or a collaborating group can determine its content. It is offered as a gift to others. In this spirit, the giver should respect the rights and liberties of the recipient." Participants at the Burning Man event in the Black Rock Desert are encouraged to express themselves in a number of ways through various art forms and projects. The event is clothing-optional and public nudity (WP) is common, though not practiced by the majority. Communal Effort "Our community values creative cooperation and collaboration. We strive to produce, promote and protect social networks, public spaces, works of art, and methods of communication that support such interaction." Participants at the Burning Man event in the Black Rock Desert are encouraged to work with and help fellow participants. Civic Responsibility "We value civil society. Community members who organize events should assume responsibility for public welfare and endeavor to communicate civic responsibilities to participants. They must also assume responsibility for conducting events in accordance with local, state and federal laws." Leave No Trace "Our community respects the environment. We are committed to leaving no physical trace of our activities wherever we gather. We clean up after ourselves and endeavor, whenever possible, to leave such places in a better state than when we found them." Participation "Our community is committed to a radically participatory ethic. We believe that transformative change, whether in the individual or in society, can occur only through the medium of deeply personal participation. We achieve being through doing. Everyone is invited to work. Everyone is invited to play. We make the world real through actions that open the heart." People are encouraged to participate, rather than observe. Immediacy "Immediate experience is, in many ways, the most important touchstone of value in our culture. We seek to overcome barriers that stand between us and a recognition of our inner selves, the reality of those around us, participation in society, and contact with a natural world exceeding human powers. No idea can substitute for this experience." Links References *Official Burning Man Website *Wikitravel article on Black Rock City * Category at ODP * MarXidad.com - Burning Man * Burning Man page Annual coverage from SFGate.com and the San Francisco Chronicle * * Enabling Creative Chaos: The Organization Behind the Burning Man Event An ethnography of the growing organization that runs Burning Man. By Katherine K. Chen *Got Fire? Portrait of Black Rock City during Burning Man 2000 * BURNcast.tv A video/audio podcast spreading the flames about the art, culture and community of Burning Man * FBI file on Burning Man * Burning Man 2016 A film by Kate Fehlhaber * Burning Man Festival Category:Great Basin Category:Religious festivals Category:Burning Man Category:1986 establishments in California Category:1986 in San Francisco Category:Articles containing video clips Category:Black Rock Desert Category:Cacophony Society Category:Campgrounds in the United States Category:Clothing-optional events Category:Counterculture festivals Category:Culture of San Francisco Category:Ecovillages Category:Festivals in Nevada Category:Intentional communities in the United States Category:New Age in popular culture Category:Public nudity Category:Recurring events established in 1986 Category:Rituals Category:Tourist attractions in Pershing County, Nevada Category:Traditions involving fire Category:Transformational festivals Category:Utopian communities Category:Utopian movements Category:Intentional communities Category:Intentional living